Applications for Online Gambling Licenses in Pennsylvania Go Live
Published February 14, 2018 by Elana K
The PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) posted applications for Interactive Gaming Licenses on its website last week, which means that Pennsylvania casinos can now apply for licenses to open up online gambling sites.
It’s been months since Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a bill to legalize online gambling, and finally, the state is starting to move ahead with some concrete plans. The PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) posted applications for Interactive Gaming Licenses on its website last week, which means that casinos can now apply for licenses to open up online gambling sites.
According to the PGCB, applications will be accepted on April 2, 2018, but it was not written on the site when applicants would be notified or their acceptance. The core of the actual application is nearly 60 pages, which means that casinos have less than two months to complete them and send them in.
Fees and Revenue
In addition to the actual application, there is a hefty $10 million dollar licensing fee for each casino. The much-needed revenue will ease Pennsylvania’s budget woes, and once online casinos are up and running, regular tax revenue is expected to be the long-term budget fix Pennsylvania has been looking for.
How Many Licenses Are Available?
The PGCB will grant up to 13 online casino licenses and up to 13 online poker licenses; this is exactly enough to accommodate Pennsylvania’s 12 existing casinos and Philly Live!, a new one that is slated to be built in Philadelphia and opened in 2020.
What’s Next for Pennsylvania?
Once all the applications are in, the PGCB needs to review them and let the applicants know if they’ve been accepted. The reviewal process could take a number of months, but one key date to note is July 1, 2018, the beginning of Pennsylvania’s fiscal year for 2018-2019.
If the state wants to see significant revenue from online gambling for that year, it needs to move quickly to accept applications. Because after that, there’s all the technical issues of actually getting online gambling sites up and running, including geolocation technology that prevents anyone from unregulated states from playing.
